Vol. 70 Day 11 12/11/14 Dear Son and Daughter, With Chanukah just days ahead, let’s look at what brought about this time of feasting and celebration. Let’s continue with some more history from 1 Maccabees: Sanctuary; they defiled the Sanctuary... Because of them the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled away, and she became the abode for strangers. She became a stranger to her own offspring, and her children forsook her. Her Sanctuary was as desolate as a wilderness; her feasts were turned into mourning, Her Sabbaths to shame, her honor to contempt. Her dishonor was as great as her glory had been, and her exaltation was turned into mourning. Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people each abandoning his particular customs. All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king, and many Israelites were in favor of his religion…they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath. The king sent messengers with letters to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah. Ordering then to follow customs foreign to their land: to prohibit holocausts, sacrifices, and libations in the Sanctuary, to profane the Sabbaths and feast days, to desecrate the Sanctuary and the sacred ministers, to build pagan altars with temples and shrines, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, to leave their sons uncircumcised, and to let themselves be defiled with every kind of impurity and abomination, so that they might forget the Law and change all their observances… Whoever refused to act according to the command of the king should be put to death. Such were the orders he published throughout the kingdom. This has been accomplished so that they might forget the Law and change all their observances, Yahweh’s teaching and instruction has been forgotten and His observances have been replaced with pagan observances. How many churches today observe Passover? How many churches observe Shavuot? How many churches observe Rosh Hashanah? How many churches observe Yom Kippur? How many churches observe The Feast of Tabernacles? How many churches observe Chanukah? How many churches observe Purim? These are all the observances of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, yet we see very few who claim to be doing what He did. What Would Jesus Do? He did all of these! Are we following Him? What we don’t realize is, if we are not doing what Yahweh taught and instructed us to do, if we are not doing what Jesus Himself did, we are in fact under the law of sin and death! If we were walking in the law (teaching and instruction) of the Spirit of Christ Jesus we would be observing all that Jesus observed! Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Look at some more of 1 Maccabees: Whoever refused to act according to the command of the king should be put to death. Such were the orders he published throughout the kingdom. He appointed inspectors over all the people, and he ordered the cities of Judah to offer sacrifices, each city in turn. Many of the people, those who abandoned the Law, joined them and committed evil in the land. Israel was driven into hiding, wherever places of refuge could be found. On the fifteenth day of the month of Kislev, in the year one hundred and forty-five, the king erected the horrible abomination upon the altar of holocausts, and in the surrounding cities of Judah… they built pagan altars. They also burnt incense at the doors of houses and in the streets. Any scrolls of the Law which they found they tore up and burnt. We need to ask ourselves this question, do you see the Torah in the churches today? It’s as if Yahweh’s scriptures have been tore up and burnt! We’ve been told we are no longer “under the law.” What has happened is we have been Greek Hellenized! The prophet Daniel said this story will repeat itself in the last days! Look at some more of 1 Maccabees: Whoever was found with a scroll of the Covenant, and whoever observed the Law, was condemned to death by royal; decree. So they used their power against Israel, against those who were caught, each month, in the cities. On the twenty-fifth day of each month they sacrificed on the altar erected over the altar of holocausts. Women who had their children circumcised were put to death, in keeping with the decree, with the babies hung from their necks…their families also and those who had circumcised them were killed. But many in Israel were determined and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean; they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food or to profane the holy Covenant; and they did die. Terrible affliction was upon Israel. It’s because of those who were determined and resolved in their hearts not to be assimilated, not to be Greek Hellenized, but to remain obedient to Yahweh and His holy Covenant that we have opportunity in a few days to observe Chanukah. Are we following Jesus? Love and Prayer, Mom
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 14:09:29 +0000
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